2001 Volkswagen Jetta Cruise Control Problems

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN DRIVING 5-25 MPH ON A GRAVEL DRIVEWAY, THE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED. THIS OCCURRED WHEN THE VEHICLE HIT ANY BUMP OR POTHOLE ON 50-70 OCCASIONS. WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD DISENGAGE ALLOWING THE VEHICLE TO SLOW. THE SERVICE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT ALERTED. UPDATED 02/06/07. *JB

I WAS AT A FULL STOP AT A RED LIGHT WAITING TO CROSS A BUSY HIGHWAY WHEN SUDDENLY. AND WITHOUT WARNING, THE CAR STARTED ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN. MY FIRST REACTION WAS TO PUSH ON THE BRAKES HARDER. THIS DID NOTHING. THE CAR KEPT ACCELERATING TO SUCH A RATE THAT THE BACK END STARTED FISHTAILING AROUND TO THE RIGHT. I HAVE A CDL LICENSE AND REACTED BY PUTTING THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL. THIS REACTION DEFINITELY SAVED A MAJOR ACCIDENT. THE CAR WAS DOING ITS BEST TO FORCE ME INTO MOVING TRAFFIC. THE NEXT PERSON THIS HAPPENS TO MIGHT NOT BE SO LUCKY. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL VW DEALERSHIP. AFTER KEEPING MY CAR 2 WEEKS, THEY STILL COULDN'T COME UP WITH A PLAUSIBLE EXPLANATION FOR WHY THIS HAPPENED. THEY DID REMOVE THE ON/OFF BUTTON FOR THE CRUISE CONTROL, BUT THEY CAN'T GUARANTEE ME THAT THIS IS WHAT CAUSED THE MALFUNTION. NORMALLY THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD DE-ACTIVATE WHEN THE BRAKES ARE PRESSED. I REMAIN WITHOUT A REASONABLE EXPLANATION OR REPAIR.*AK

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE LOST POWER WHEN ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. A TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

MY WIFE WAS PULLING INTO AN UPHILL PARKING SPOT AND PRESSED THE BRAKE TO STOP. INSTEAD, THE CAR ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL AND HIT A CONCRETE BLOCK WALL, WHICH CAUSED THE AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY AND DAMAGED THE FRONT OF THE CAR. THE CAR THEN REVERSED ITSELF AND MY WIFE HAD TO PULL THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO BRING THE CAR TO A STOP. *LA

WHEN TRYING TO ACCLERATE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE, CAUSING A DISTRACION TO THE CONSUMER. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK *TS

WHEN PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC THE CAR WILL NOT ACCELERATE, THEN SUDDENLY STARTS TO ACCELERATE. THE CAR STUTTERS BEFORE TAKING OFF THIS HAS CAUSED MY WIFE TO ALMOST GET INTO NUMEROUS ACCIDENTS. WE HAVE TAKEN IT DOWN TO THE DEALERSHIP NUMEROUS TIMES, THE FIRST TIME THEY SAID IT WAS A CLOGGED VALVE AND THEY WOULD ORDER IT AND CALL ME BACK WHEN IT WAS IN STOCK. WHEN I CALLED THEM 2 MONTHS LATER THEY SAID WE CAN SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT THE PART SHOULD BE IN STOCK, BUT THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT PART IT WAS EXACTLY SINCE IT WAS NOT LISTED ON THE WORK ORDER. WHEN I TOOK IT BACK THEY SAID THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN THAT STATED WHEN THE BRAKE IS DEPRESSED AND RELEASED THE CAR WILL HESITATE BEFORE GOING BECAUSE THE CAR STILL THINKS THE BRAKE IS ON, BUT THEY COULD NOT REPRODUCE THIS OR ANY OTHER PROBLEM ON OUR CAR. WE HAVE ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS, AFTER TAKING THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP 5 TIMES THEY FINALLY "CHECKED" THE CONTROLS AND FOUND SOMETHING WRONG. *NLM

ON OCT. 7,2001 ( FOUR DAYS AFTER TAKING DELIVERY), I WAS SLOWLY MERGING INTO TRAFFIC . WHEN I PUT MY FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL, THERE WAS NO ACCERLATION FOR A FEW SECONDS (CAR JUST IDLED) AND THEN SUDDENLY, THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD INTO TRAFFIC AT A HIGH SPEED WITH THE TIRES SCREECHING. THE SAME THING HAPPENED TWICE MORE ON OCTOBER 17, 2001 WHEN TURNING LEFT AT INTERSECTIONS; THEN ABOUT 10 TIMES ON OCTOBER 17 WHILE EITHER MAKING TURNS OR DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC; TWICE ON NOV.7; AND, TWICE MORE ON NOV. 13. WE WERE AFRAID TO DRIVE CAR ON OCT. 25 AND HAD TOWED TO CLOSEST DEALER. CAR HAS BEEN TO SERVICE DEPT. TWICE, ON 10/22 AND 10/25. DEFECT NOT FOUND OR REPAIRED. WE ARE TOO AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR AS WE WERE ALMOST IN 5 ACCIDENTS.*AK